How to start meditation at home for beginners

How to start meditation at home for beginners? Is there a way to start meditating without the help of a teacher? If so, what is the secret?

Even science has long recognized it: meditation reduces anxiety and stress. Cortisol, the hormone that at times of increased tension determines the increase in blood sugar and fat in the blood, can be drastically reduced when you calm your mind and breathe. We breathe, we breathe out and in a short time we reach peace so that the immune system is strengthened. Apparently, it would take twenty minutes a day to see the first benefits. One wonders why not everyone does it.

But meditation can put people off because it seems so difficult that many people do not even try. These are some of the most basic and important tips on how to start meditation at home, for beginners, but also if you are a professional and you want to refocus.

What is meditation?

There’s no perfect definition for meditation. Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a deep state of relaxation, awareness and attention. Meditation can be used as a psychotherapeutic technique and, even if it’s often practised for religious purposes, it’s totally independent from any religious practice.

The benefits of meditation

It’s said that meditation has a lot of benefits. Among them:

Increase self-awareness

Help in managing stress

Improve well-being, both physical and emotional

Improve different aspects of attention

Help in managing different conditions such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, etc.

Meditation and relaxation

The first fundamental notion to learn is the concept of relaxation: if you want to meditate you have to sit in the most comfortable position with the back completely straight to facilitate the process of strengthening the whole body. At this point it is necessary to keep the head straight in front of you and the shoulders should never be taut but soft. In fact, by practicing meditation the back muscles become stronger, support the spine better and also help to adopt other and more complex meditative positions.

Where should I meditate?

Find a quiet place at home. You can sit on a pillow (better if stiff, otherwise roll a blanket), so you can also rest on your knees (the points in contact with the ground, to support you, must be three, to help the back to stay upright). Imagine that a transparent thread unites you to paradise and holds back your rights. If not, stay seated, with your feet resting well on the ground.

How long do I have to meditate?

Time is relative, true, but for a beginner five minutes it may seem like an eternity. For this I would not do more, especially for the first few weeks. Meditation is a kind practice, it is important to feel comfortable and not to force your limits too much

How should I meditate?

Begin to pay attention to the breath: feel the fresh air that enters the nostrils and the warm air that comes out during the inhalation. Let the breath become free, try not to force it and simply listen. The attention to the breath is an anchor that will allow to calm the thoughts, keeping them busy with something else. Ingenious!

When do I find the time to meditate?

Some love to start the day with a session, others book it in the evening. It would be important to make it a habit. The good news is that within two months, any activity can become a simple routine, thanks to the new brain connections that are formed in our brain that is not so refractory to changes, if repeated every day.

The positions of meditation

There are different positions when it comes to meditation. If you are a beginner and want to start practicing at home, these are the most common positions for meditating.

On a chair

You can start meditation sitting on a chair. This practice is suitable not only for beginners, but also for elderly people or for all those who have health problems. Choose a chair with a straight back, not very soft. Sit down so your feet touch the floor and your back is straight, never pressed against the back of the chair.

On the heels

Sit on your heels Kneel and sit on your buttocks, with your feet on either side of your hips and your toes pressed to the floor. Beginners can put a pillow or blanket under their buttocks so they do not have problems with their knees and tibias. Do not forget to keep your back straight, so you do not “fall” backwards.

Lotus

It is considered one of the positions for meditating par excellence. It has been used all over the world for thousands of years and is the most stable of all figures. Buttocks on the pillow and left foot over the right thigh, right foot over the left thigh. It is advisable to alternate the legs to distribute the pressure evenly.

Half Lotus

With the buttocks on a pillow, put one foot on the opposite thigh and the other on the floor under the opposite thigh. Make sure that both knees touch the floor and the spine does not tilt to one side. To distribute pressure on the back and legs, remember to alternate the lower limbs. In other words, the left leg on the thigh and the right on the floor, then the right leg on the thigh and the left on the floor.

What if I don’t feel anything?

Slowly, sitting down to meditate will always be more natural. And slowly you can go from 5 to 15 or 20 minutes, depending on your needs. Meditation is to welcome what is in the present moment. If one day there is tension, you will recognize it and let it go. If there is boredom one day, she will welcome it too. But you will also recognize joy, serenity and peace. Increase awareness of the mechanisms of your mind and the thousand nuances of your emotions. For a decidedly fuller life.